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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Thank God for ethics committees in hospitals. Go to this article's link to Ashley's parents' journal. Their reasons are logical, insightful and persuasive. They will be her guardians as long as they are able, and as such they have the right to make decisions about her care. As they repeatedly state, the two biggest problems in Ashley's life that they can identify are boredom and discomfort. The procedures were meant to curb discomfort (large breasts run in the family, periods are painful, large people develop more bedsores) and allow her to be moved easily so she will be less bored and more stimulated.
Her parents are willing to try to keep her comfortable and amused for the rest of her life - surely we as a society can support whatever they need to do so.
Could the "Ashley Treatment" be misused? Yes. Thus the need for 18 people around a table for several hours making these decisions. It is not unlike the ethics of seeking plastic surgery for a child: what are the motives?
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
